Accompanies Mr. Silliman to the Berkshires.—­Takes his wife and daughter to Concord, New Hampshire.—­Writes to his wife from Boston about a bonnet.—­Goes to Washington, D.C.—­Paints large picture of House of Representatives.—­Artistic but not financial success.—­Donates five hundred dollars to Yale.—­Letter from Mr. DeForest.—­New York “Observer.”—­Discouragements.—­First son born.—­Invents marble-carving machine.—­Goes to Albany.—­Stephen Van Rensselaer.—­Slight encouragement in Albany.—­Longing for a home.—­Goes to New York.—­Portrait of Chancellor Kent.—­Appointed attache to Legation to Mexico.—­High hopes.—­ Takes affecting leave of his family.—­Rough journey to Washington.—­ Expedition to Mexico indefinitely postponed.—­Returns North.—­Settles in New York.—­Fairly prosperous.

Much as Morse longed for a permanent home, where he could find continuous employment while surrounded by those he loved, it was not until many years afterwards and under totally different circumstances that his dream was realized.  For the present the necessity of earning money for the support of his young family and for the assistance of his ageing father and mother drove him continually forth to new fields, and on May 23, 1821, which must have been only a few weeks after his return from the South, he writes to his wife from Pittsfield, Massachusetts:—­

“We are thus far on our tour safe and sound.  Mr. Silliman’s health is very perceptibly better already.  Last night we lodged at Litchfield; Mr. Silliman had an excellent night and is in fine spirits.

“At Litchfield I called on Judge Reeves and sat a little while....  I called at Mr. Beecher’s with Mr. Silliman and Judge Gould; no one at home.  Called with Mr. Silliman at Dr. Shelden’s, and stayed a few moments; sat a few moments also at Judge Gould’s.

“I was much pleased with the exterior appearance of Litchfield; saw at a distance Edwards’s pickerel pond.

“We left at five this morning, breakfasted at Norfolk, dined at Stockbridge.  We there left the stage and have hired a wagon to go on to Middlebury, Vermont, at our leisure.  We lodge here to-night and shall probably reach Bennington, Vermont, to-morrow night.

“I have made one slight pencil sketch of the Hoosac Mountain.  At Stockbridge we visited the marble quarries, and to-morrow at Lanesborough shall visit the quarries of fine white marble there.

“I am much delighted with my excursion thus far.  To travel with such a companion as Mr. Silliman I consider as highly advantageous as well as gratifying.”

This is all the record I have of this particular trip.  The Mr. Beecher referred to was the father of Henry Ward Beecher.

Later in the summer he accompanied his wife and little daughter to Concord, New Hampshire, and left them there with her father and mother.  Writing to her from Boston on his way back to New Haven, he says in characteristically masculine fashion:—­